Education Eye: Compassion, humility and tolerance. It’s Christmas
It must be nearly Christmas as I found myself watching Love Actually on the TV this week.There’s nothing like a bit of rom com to set the mood for the forthcoming festivities. When it reached the part...
View ArticleBusiness Eye: How I fared on 2014 predictions
It’s time to come clean on my predictions for the year made in my Jan 8, 2014 column.Top of the list was that Alex “Braveheart” Salmond would not convince the Scottish half of my family ton vote for...
View ArticleThame notch club record 11th straight win
Thame United secured a club record 11th consecutive league victory on Saturday with a comfortable 2-0 home win over Oxford City Nomads. Manager Mark West made a couple of changes to his starting...
View Article‘Insulting the prophet Mohammed is a grievous matter’: Wycombe mayor...
A council chief has criticised comments made about the Paris terror attacks by a town mayor who said ‘insulting a person’s fundamental beliefs was likely to lead to unrest’.Cllr Richard Scott, leader...
View ArticleThame notch 12th straight win
Goals from Ben Gray and Ellis Hercules saw Thame United overcome Bracknell Town 2-0 to claim their 12th consecutive league win. The victory keeps United fourth in the Hellenic Premier Division and sees...
View ArticleMPs ‘sceptical’ over HS2
MPs are ‘sceptical’ about whether the HS2 rail line which would cut through the Vale will deliver value for money for taxpayers.The Commons Public Accounts Committee said the £50bn price tag ‘includes...
View ArticleBercow: Challenges of the year ahead loom large this January
May I start by wishing all readers a happy New Year, and I hope that you enjoyed a restful and relaxing Christmas break.The challenges of the year ahead loom large, but I am optimistic that we will be...
View ArticleBusiness Eye: We need to poke fun, ridicule and complain
A few weeks ago I wrote in this column that my favourite of the many unique wisdoms bequeathed us by George Orwell is ‘Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is...
View ArticleEducation Eye: International baccalaureate will appeal to the undecided
Many schools now offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma or IB in addition to A levels for sixth form study.If you are lucky enough to have this choice, it can nevertheless be quite a tricky...
View ArticleNotes from St Tiggywinkles: My great hoarde of hedgehogabilia...
I feel so guilty watching TV programmes exposing hoarders filling their lives with all types of paraphernalia. I suppose I am a hoarder, over the years stashing away anything to do with the history of...
View ArticleEducation Eye: Try before you buy at uni taster days
With the passing of the UCAS deadline for the class of 2015, we move to the start of the university research process for Year 12. A good way to begin might be to take a look at the Universities Taster...
View ArticleNotes from St Tiggywinkles: Walking the walk then (at last) talking the talk
It was almost a year ago, 23rd January 2014, a date that will stay forever in my mind. Seventy people had paid and were arriving at Tiggys expecting an illustrated talk to be given by me on the history...
View ArticleSad end as Tiggywinkles tries in vain to save deer carried home by Olympian...
Tiggywinkles were called out to Olympic gold medalist Greg Rutherford’s home after he discovered a badly injured muntjac deer.Rutherford, who won gold in the long jump during the 2012 Games in London...
View ArticleThame back to winning ways
Thame United bounced back from last week’s defeat with a stylish 4-1 victory over Wootton Bassett Town. Having suffered their first defeat since September last time out, manager Mark West made a number...
View ArticleBenefits cheat had £50,000 in the bank
A benefits cheat who claimed £34,000 from the state despite having £50,000 in the bank has been given a suspended prison sentence.Cynthia Green, 60, of Franklin Road, Haddenham, falsely claimed £20,199...
View ArticleCouncil chief claims Vale ‘ideologically different’ to rest of Bucks as...
A referendum asking whether the Vale should break away from Bucks could be held within 16 months, according to the man spearheading the move.The district council’s leadership wants to commission a...
View ArticleEducation Eye: Effective online research
When I was at school our first port of call for homework and school project research were the heavy, gold embossed volumes of Encyclopaedia Britannica which decorated the shelves in my father’s...
View ArticleBusiness Eye: We must all choose to be unreasonable
Did you miss reading my words of wisdom last week? No? Ouch!I guess it pays us all to remember that none of us is irreplaceable and there are always plenty of others ready and willing to fill our shoes...
View Article‘What’s not to like?’: District council freezes tax and most charges
Council tax and most fees and charges will be frozen by Aylesbury Vale District Council in the next financial year.A proposal by the authority’s cabinet to keep its precept at £136.35 a year for a Band...
View ArticleEducation Eye: Beware school league tables
Last week saw the publication of the latest senior school league tables.We’re all familiar with the format ranking each school’s performance at GCSE and A level, so parents can supposedly compare the...
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